You need to cook the dried pasta before filling it. Boiling them in saltwater seasons the bland noodles. I cook them until al dente with some chew because they will continue to soften when baking in the oven. After removing from the boiling water, immediately rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process so they don’t get mushy. Al dente noodles are easier to handle when adding the cheese
Make a flavorful tomato sauce
For a quick sauce with intense tomato flavor, grab your can opener! A thick sauce that clings to the pasta shells needs tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and diced tomatoes for little bursts of the fruit. But first, I always start by sauteing aromatics like chopped onions and garlic in olive oil and adding dried herbs. Then pour in the canned tomatoes and briefly simmer to meld all of the wonderful flavors together.
Place half of the sauce in a large baking dish followed by the pasta in a single layer, and then add the remainder on top. Sprinkle with mozzarella and bake until the cheese is melted and the pasta is hot and bubbly. Cooking the stuffed tubes in the sauce will infuse more flavor and tenderize the noodles a bit more.
Serve this with:
. Garlic Bread
. Salad with Italian Dressing
. Caesar Salad
Manicotti with 3-Cheese Filling
Treat your family to Italian comfort food with this easy manicotti recipe. Jumbo tubes of pasta stuffed with an herb ricotta filling.
Ingredients :
